Building a deck is a great way to expand and enhance your outdoor living space. If you have any previous building experience this may not be too hard for you but if you are not so good with power tools you should probably hire a contractor. You may be lucky and have a neighbor that is a builder and likes to take small side jobs. If this is the case you could hire them and build it together.

Your project begins by determining how large you want your deck to be. You also need to decide what will go on the deck when it is done. Are you planning on adding a hot tub? If so, you will need to know beforehand so you can add some extra support to carry a large load.

Pressure Treated versus Composite Boards

Once you have determined the size, you need to think about the material you want to use. Pressure treated lumber is the most common for the actual decking and the support structure that rests underneath. Making a trip to your local lumberyard or home improvement warehouse can show you that this is not the only material you can use.

Composite deck boards were introduced to the industry not too long ago and are quickly becoming more and more popular. The benefit of using a composite material is that maintenance is reduced to almost nothing and these deck boards last for decades. Traditional pressure treated lumber requires staining or water treating every year or every few years. Composite boards stay beautiful for a very long time.

Begin by Digging Holes

The actual construction of your project starts by digging holes and pouring concrete for your posts. These posts will form the foundation of your support structure and need to be level. Concrete takes a little while to properly cure too, so make sure you take your time when building.

Next you will form a lattice work of pressure treated two by material to support the load that will be carried. This is where hiring a contractor can come in very handy. If you have no experience, you probably do not want to go at this alone. If you make a mistake or do not fasten something properly your deck could collapse when it is loaded with a lot of weight. This can cause some serious injuries and even deaths.

Once the supports are in place, you can think about applying the deck board. There is a type of pressure treated lumber that are actually called deck boards. These are specifically designed to be used as the walking surface because they are smooth. This will help reduce the amount of splinters that wind up in your family's feet.

Composite boards come in many different colors and finishes. These will not rot or splinter. They come with a lengthy warranty but are also very costly. If you think about how long they last when compared to pressure treated lumber, it really is not that bad. You will end up having to replace your wooden decking a couple times before you replace the composite ones.

The question of is it hard to build an outdoor deck really depends on how experienced you are. It is always helpful having someone around who has built a deck before and can show you how to do it. Properly construction will help prevent the deck from failing and injuring your friends and family. Do not take the chance if you do not know what you are doing.